Petition seeks to landmark Most Holy Redeemer ahead of possible closure

With reporting by Stacie Joy

Following last week's announcement that the Archdiocese of New York will cease all masses at Most Holy Redeemer-Church of the Nativity this fall, preservation groups and parishioners have launched a petition to landmark the historic East Village property. 

The effort, spearheaded by Village Preservation, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative and the East Village Community Coalition, seeks to protect the 19th-century church at 173 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B — along with its rectory and former school — from potential redevelopment. 

 

Supporters argue that the church is a vital part of the neighborhood's cultural and architectural heritage, and it deserves formal landmark status. 

Per the petition, which you can find here: 

With roots in waves of immigration dating back to the 1840s, the church was once one of the largest in the city and one of its tallest structures. A devastating fire at its school led to pioneering reforms in fire safety measures that remain with us today, and the church, which was restyled over time, was the site of significant innovations in the use of electricity in church structures as well as the introduction of Gregorian chants at Catholic Churches. 

And... 

Most Holy Redeemer has been a cornerstone of the East Village community for over a century and a half, and embodies so much of this neighborhood’s and New York's rich immigrant history and culture. 

The three groups had previously lobbied Mayor Adams and the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider landmark status in a letter this past December. 

As we first reported, Monsignor Kevin J. Nelan of Immaculate Conception on 14th Street and Eileen Mulcahy, the vice chancellor for parish planning of the Archdiocese of New York, addressed continued speculation during a meeting on July 14 that Most Holy Redeemer would close outright. 

They emphasized that while the church isn't officially closing, its operations will undergo significant changes. Regular weekly masses will end, and in their place, the church will offer only occasional services, such as weddings, funerals, or what was described as "once in a blue moon masses" for long-time parishioners. This fall, masses that were previously held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (including Spanish services) will take place at nearby St. Brigid's. 

Leadership cited the shortage of priests as a key reason for the shift.

Concerns were also raised about the structural condition of the building itself. There is plaster falling from the ceiling in the church, officials noted, adding that engineers would evaluate whether it remains safe. 

We attended mass this past weekend at Most Holy Redeemer, where approximately 75 people were in attendance.

Caution tape now cordons off a section to the left of the altar at Most Holy Redeemer, where plaster reportedly fell from the ceiling. 

From our vantage point, visible damage appeared minimal — limited to a small white patch overhead — but the incident has raised concerns about the building's condition as its future remains uncertain.

Last summer, the Archdiocese of New York sold the historic Holy Rosary Church in East Harlem to a developer, citing the building's severe disrepair. 

In recent years, Catholic churches (or any places of worship) in the East Village haven't fared well with landmarking protections.

The Archdiocese previously went the luxury route, selling two properties for more than $80 million. Developer Douglas Steiner bought the former Mary Help of Christians property on Avenue A at 12th Street in 2012 for $41 million. 

During the summer of 2013, workers demolished the church, school and rectory to make way for Steiner East Village, the block-long luxury condoplex (below) with an indoor pool and retail spaces that have been vacant for seven years.

In March 2020, Gemini Rosemont, an L.A.-based real-estate investor, bought the former Church of the Nativity property on Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street for $40 million. The property remains vacant. 

Church of the Nativity merged with Most Holy Redeemer in 2015. 

The former site of St. Emeric, located on 13th Street and Avenue D, is likely to yield an affordable housing complex. The now-deconsecrated church merged with St. Brigid on Avenue B in early 2013. 

Further back, in 2003, St. Ann's Church, located on 12th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, was partially demolished to make way for NYU's Founders Hall dormitory. The church's historic facade and fence were preserved and incorporated into the front courtyard of the dorm, a hollow gesture that does little to honor what was lost. As "The AIA Guide to New York City" noted, "the effect is of a majestic elk, shot and stuffed." 

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Find the petition to landmark Most Holy Redeemer at this link.